Honestly, you wait nine years for a new Aphex Twin album, then he surprises everyone by dropping a new 38 track LP, Music From The Merch Desk (2016 - 2023) overnight.
Music From The Merch Desk (2016 - 2023) collects rare 12” records sold exclusively at Aphex Twin gigs on the merchandise stall - the only problem was that they sold out before most people could buy one. The compilation is a treasure trove of 38 playful tracks and experiments, classic AFX acid, idiosyncratic beats, and unexpected highlights. My favourite so far is “01-015-Aphex Twin-T165 MADMA with nastya [London 030617]” which echoes classic Selected Ambient Works riffing over Analord beats.
The album has been officially compiled with a truly terrible album cover that pays homage to a meme of an unofficial Aphex Twin t-shirt sold by an enterprising rascal on Bubble or Etsy.
Music From The Merch Desk (2016 - 2023) is available on Warp Records and digital download now.